¶ … represents a public safety or public health issue? I believe that this scenario presents both a public safety and a public health issue. Public safety issues involve any issue of public safety. Generally, public safety is going to be the realm of departments like the police, EMS, and public transportation individuals (Web Finance, 2012). However, public health is part of public safety, since any health risks necessarily impair the safety of the people at risk. Moreover, this particular issue necessarily involves safety issues and would require activities by those outside of the traditional public health realms. "Public Health is the science and art of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention" (What is Public Health?, 2012). Health is necessarily part of safety. Moreover, in this particular scenario, when the threat to health was the result of a traffic issue, one sees overlap between the two fields. Improving public health in this scenario would necessarily mean improving public safety and would require cooperation from those in charge of public safety.

2. How does this scenario exemplify how the legislative process influences public health?

This scenario demonstrates that the legislative process does not necessarily improve public health. None of the opponents of the speed bumps seem to have suggested that installing the speed bumps would have a negative impact on public health or public safety. In fact, it appears that the only evidence presented to the Neighborhood Council was that the speed bumps would increase public health and public safety. However, it points out that health and safety considerations are not the only issues that legislative bodies have to consider when considering public health or safety issues. Instead, they have to consider the impact that the health and safety measures would have on other parts of life. There is some trade-off between health and safety and other issues, like financial considerations...

While it may seem like impairing traffic flow and risking suspension damage to vehicles may seem like minor considerations when compared to the potential of loss of life and health, the reality is that life and health are monetized on a regular basis. It is standard for people to monetize the value of life. From a specifically mathematical point-of-view, one can compare the financial risks of not installing the speed bumps to the financial risks of installing the speed bumps.
In addition, it is important to consider that legislatures are called upon to consider competing interests in many capacities. One could limit freedoms significantly and increase public health. However, Americans, as a whole, are not willing to forego their freedoms in order to increase safety. In a freedom-based democracy, it is inevitable that there will be legal behavior that places people at some degree of risk. It is critical to always realize that there are competing interests.

3. Do you think that the Neighborhood Council should have acted in a different manner on this issue? Explain why or why not.

I do not know if the Neighborhood Council should have acted in a different manner. Speed bumps do slow down some speeders, but truly reckless drivers, particularly those in larger vehicles, can drive just as fast and just as recklessly even when speed bumps are present. I simply do not have enough information to determine whether or not local law enforcement enforces the speeding laws, whether there is a history of injuries towards children, or whether speeding really is a problem in the neighborhood. Having people sign a petition based on their opinions without the underlying factual background to support those opinions is not necessarily persuasive information. That Angie Young's child was injured by a speeder does not mean that speeding is an endemic problem in the neighborhood. It is a significant and serious injury, but the fact of that injury is not enough to establish that all of the neighborhood children are at risk because of the…